California's Air Resources Board voted Thursday to slash by 70% the number of emission-free vehicles that carmakers must sell in the state in coming years, a significant blow for environmentalists and transportation activists.
But the panel set new rules requiring automakers to build tens of thousands of plug-in hybrid cars, which run on electricity and gasoline. And it adopted a motion to overhaul its entire Zero Emission Vehicle program to align it with tougher greenhouse-gas emission standards enacted in California in recent years. That could lead to the production of many more clean vehicles, but the overhaul won't happen until at least the end of 2009.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, March 29, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 32 words Type of Material: Correction
Zero-emission vehicles: An article in the Business section on Friday said VantagePoint Venture Partners was an investor in plug-in hybrid carmaker Fisker Automotive. VantagePoint is an investor in electric carmaker Tesla Motors.
Under the new standards, passed unanimously, the board will require the largest companies selling cars in the state to produce 7,500 electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles for sale, lease or loan in California from 2012 to 2014 -- down from the 25,000 required in the period under the previous rules.
In addition, carmakers will be called upon to make about 58,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the same period. The previous regulation, passed in 2003, made no provisions for plug-in hybrids because they were not considered viable at the time.
"Clearly advocates would like to have more of these technologies available," said air board member Daniel Sperling, who introduced the proposal that ultimately passed. "But it's my view that both plug-in hybrids and [emission-free vehicles] are tremendous stretches for the industry."
Environmental and transportation activists called the decision a victory for carmakers, which had lobbied vigorously against the mandates.
"It's a huge blow," said Chelsea Sexton, executive director of Plug In America, an advocacy group. "They sent the message to the carmakers that they can always get what they want from the board."
Automakers, though, were reserved. "We're going to have to take some time and study it," Ford Motor Co. spokeswoman Jennifer Moore said. "The question is still what technology is ready and what is going to be commercially viable."
Ford is one of six automakers -- along with General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Chrysler, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. -- subject to the mandates. Smaller car companies are not bound by the rules, though they could be if their sales increase.
